FOLLOWING just one league game since November, Daisy Hill will look to continue their push up the North West Counties Division One table when they host title-chasing Cheadle Town tomorrow.

Craig Thomas' 12-placed side had been building momentum with two wins from three games before postponements due to waterlogged pitches halted their surge last month.

But with Curtis Cummins returning to the club after a spell at Premier Division side Runcorn Town and top scorers Matthew Davison and Daniel Gregory along with Craig Naylor and Christopher Taylor providing 11 man-of-the-match performances between them, Thomas believes his side are moving in the right direction following a challenging start to the season.

“We had a really good season last year. The youth team won the ALSA league, so we let a few players go and brought in some of the youth team.

“We didn’t have a great start due to lack of experience but we’re moving right up there. We’re playing well and our aim is to make the top six and reach the play-offs.”

Daisy Hill face a stern test at home to second-placed Cheadle Town this weekend with Thomas admitting the game could go either way.

“The Cheadle Town team hasn’t changed over the years, unlike us, so we know their team a little bit. The thing about this league is that there is no outstanding team in the league, the bottom sides can beat the top sides.”

Thomas is now looking forward to a good end to the season and will be hoping he can iron out some of his side's discipline problems which has seen players dismissed in each of their last five games.

"They've been mainly last-man challenges," said Thomas.

"We played Hanley Town last time out and lost 3-1, but if we had 11 players on the field the result could have been different.

“We’re looking forward to the rest of the season. Our season is beginning now and we’re moving in the right direction.”

Following their 1-0 defeat to Newton Aycliffe in the third round of the FA Vase on Tuesday, fourth-placed Atherton Collieries return to Premier Division action tomorrow with a trip to sixth-placed Bootle, while in Division One, 16-placed Atherton LR will travel to promotion hopefuls Irlam.